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Friday, April 22, 2011

As I sit here in Arizona, eating an egg sandwich and drinking some coffee...waiting for Matt to come back to me from work...I started reading emails again. This week has been so emotional. I can't even begin to tell you how emotional. I find myself typing through tears and my heart breaking for two families I have never met...it's strange to have something affect you so much that you weren't a part of.

On Tuesday morning, my schedule was thrown. It was Passover so Eric had the kids. I stopped by their new school to register them and was snapping photos off my phone of the bike racks. They have never lived somewhere that SO many kids go to the public school...and ride bikes there. I got back in my car and headed to work. As I reached the exit for the toll road there was a ton of traffic. This is NOT the norm for our burb. So, I started playing on my email. Low and behold there was a major accident with a fatality not 500 feet in front of me.

I am part of a yahoo group for people that live in our burb. There are over 1000 people on this group and they email about everything. So, I knew I could get my answers there as to which way to get to work...I am still finding the best routes from our new part of town. As I kept reading, I found out that a child was killed. He was ejected from an SUV. This, of course, totally shook me up. I did a u-turn and drove to work.

As I checked email at work, more and more was discovered. The child was driving to school with his carpool and the mother driving lost control of the SUV when she was distracted by one of her children choking. All of the kids were belted in but this boy, 7 years old, was somehow ejected from the car when it rolled multiple times. He died at the scene. The police are not sure if he unbuckled himself to help the choking child or if he slipped out or what. The other three children and their mother were unscathed.

So, I then found out that this child lives in my neighborhood. He has two sisters and a ton of friends. He is a member of a very popular church there. This community...minus a few ridiculously immature women who made this about themselves...really came together.

This little boy's funeral is today. On Good Friday. Of Easter weekend. His favorite color is yellow. So, this community of families has spent the last few hours lining the streets of all of Sienna, along the path from the funeral to the family's house, with yellow ribbons. All of the neighbors are standing along this path in yellow clothing....to show their support to this family that is grieving...and to the family whose mother was driving. So when they drive home from burying their little boy, they will be lined with his favorite color. It is a such a small thing in such a hard time but it will mean so much at some point.

And the fact that this community is rallying around the mother driving...and have forgiven her already for something that was obviously a huge accident and tragedy (minus the few women that have publicly acknowledged they could not forgive)...makes me so proud to be there. So proud.

So do as I did and hug your babies today and every day!!! Love your neighbors, love your friends, forgive easily and try to understand...no one has any place to judge someone until they have literally walked in their shoes.

I know...still crying. I have laid awake every night since then just thinking of them and praying they get through this somehow. I have smothered my children to near death all week. I wanted to write about it to remind people to be kind and to rally around each other. That so easily gets forgotten!! Happy Easter!

Stephanie, I know...one commented on such a public group...with these families as members...that she could not forgive. Then, another posted that this woman was evil and an email fight ensued with others chirping in. I was mortified. It took the most strength of I have ever had to use to not rip them a new one on the same email service. Instead, I did it here...

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This is a chronicle of my journey as a woman and a mommy to three beautiful babies...two of which happen to have type 1 diabetes and one who does not. Simply put, my life is complicated. Hope you enjoy and can share in my struggles and triumphs!

What is Type 2? Type 2 Diabetes occurs when insulin that the body produces is less efficient at moving sugar out of the bloodstream. Some sugar is moved out of the blood, just not as effectively compared to a person with normal insulin efficiency. High blood sugars are a result of this. Diet, exercise, weight loss, and possible medications are the treatment for this type of diabetes. Occasionally, someone with Type 2 may be placed on insulin to better control blood sugars. This type of diabetes is associated with physical inactivity and obesity. Type 2 Diabetes used to be thought of as the adult onset type of diabetes. However, an alarming rate of children are now being diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes (from http://www.diabetesplanner.com/).

What is a bolus?A bolus dose of insulin is the dose of regular or rapid-acting insulin that is injected to cover the food eaten in a meal or a snack (carbohydrates specifically).

What is basal insulin?The basal insulin is the “background” insulin, it works behind the scenes to cover daily functions such as breathing, heart rate, etc.

What is DOC or D-OC?Diabetes Online Community

What is PWD?Person With Diabetes

What is a D-Mom?Mother of a diabetic

What is the average range of numbers?This can vary by age but for Lily (7) it’s 80-160. Anything below 70 is low and must be treated with 15 grams of carbs. High for us is anything over around 250 and we give insulin to bring the number back down.

What is DKA?Diabetic ketoacidosis, aka DKA, is a serious complication of diabetes, which occurs when a very high blood sugar level (above 300 mg/dL) is coupled with a severe shortage of insulin in the body. This is more common in Type I diabetes because the body produces very little or no insulin on it's own. The body starts to break down fat for energy and ketones (toxic acids) develop. People with DKA usually complain of nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, rapid breathing, and sometimes a fruity odor on their breath. This can lead to coma or death and should be treated by medical personnel immediately (from http://www.about.com/).

What are ketones?Organic compounds that result when body fat is broken down for energy. Glucose is usually used by cells for energy. But, when there's no insulin to help it transport out of the blood and into the cells, the body has an "energy crisis" and starts to break down body fat into ketones as an alternative fuel source (from http://www.about.com/).

What is an A1C test?It is an average of blood sugars over a 2-3 month period of time and is used to determine how well diabetes is being managed. For dummies: The report card.